1514 ET - Starbucks is tightening its remote-work policy as the coffee chain looks to streamline corporate operations. CEO Brian Niccol says he would offer a payout program to any corporate employees who would rather leave their job than comply with the stricter return-to-office requirements. "If you decide you want to leave Starbucks for any reason, we respect that," he says. The incentives for exiting workers come a few months after Starbucks laid off 1,100 corporate employees and closed hundreds of open roles. The announcement is part of Niccol's Back to Starbucks strategy, which aims to simplify corporate structure and cut costs after a string of quarterly sales declines. (katherine.hamilton@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 14, 2025 15:14 ET (19:14 GMT)

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